Can bookstores survive in China?

BEIJING, China: Even though many private bookstores in China are shutting down due to high operating costs and competition from online retailers, at least one bookstore in Beijing is bucking the trend. Apart from Chinese books, the Trends Lounge Bookstore in Beijing is stocked with books on art and design, English paperbacks and novels, as well as foreign magazines and imported coffee table books. It also sells high-end stationery and lifestyle products and features a spacious corner for customers to have a cup of coffee, sandwich, or a place to chill and relax. Bookstore customer Hu Ruijin said: "I come here once a week. I buy mainly finance-related books and I am in the finance industry. I can chat with friends here, read, and drink coffee." There is certainly a distinct pleasure in browsing and picking out a book from a bookstore. But in most Chinese bookstores, discoun...